Being the amazing, true-to-life adventures and (very likely) misadventures of a writer who seeks to take his education, activism and seemingly boundless energy to North Minneapolis, (NoMi) to help with a process of turning a rapidly revitalizing neighborhood into something approaching Urban Utopia. I am here to be near my child. From 02/08 to 06/15 this blog pushed free speech to the envelope, so others could take heart and speak unafraid. Email me at hoffjohnw@gmail.com

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Some Insight About The New "Cuckoo Klock" Lawsuit Against Don Samuels...

This is yet another burden Council Member Samuels must endure in the bare-knuckle, rough-and-tumble politics of North Minneapolis. This is what happens when you fight slumlords to promote progress and revitalization. This is the price you pay. And this is why Don Samuels deserves our votes.

51 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Obama has the birthers, and Don Samuels has Flowers and Klock.

Don is doing the right thing by standing up to the slumlords, and unfortunately several of the "leaders" in our community are too busy working their own greedy angles to support the work he is doing for the neighborhood.

I know this: these allegations were aired at a public meeting almost exactly a year ago and nothing came of it. Now, oh gee, it's campaign season and suddenly this lawsuit materializes. The timing appears political. Please go to the link and read all the insane crap Klock said at that meeting and you know what? It was all taped, too.

JNS you are biased. Your reporting of this is not from a reporter point of view. You are offering your opinion not reporting on the story. You are a supporter of Don Samuels. The images Don has given NOMI is that of a gangster, a thug who is a city official. Between Samuels, Lisa Goodman, the other convicted city officials who were recently released cannot be "spent". Answer Don question - Why a bakery instead of the Don's office? HE, as your reporting, is an embarrassment to our community as a community as a citizen and as a city official. How much will this cost the city to defend these actions? Answer Don Allen question JNS - Why a bakery meeting? And how many other meetings like this will come forward. Don treating white people like this, I can only imagine how he is treating blacks people of our community. Now it time for him to be treated like a ...... (count the periods). Jail time for him and Goodman on the way.

As John's previous entry on this situation noted, I was at the hearing where this was initially brought up. At the time, I was new enough to north Minneapolis politics to have a rather unformed view of CM Samuels. And this Klock guy was just off his rocker.

If memory serves me correctly, he even tried to make a "citizen's arrest" of Samuels right there. His grounds were that there were police in city hall chambers, he claimed to have been assaulted, and was now uttering the magic words "citizen's arrest."

Incredibly, the police did NOT arrest Samuels on the spot - a testament either to the craziness of Mr. Klock or the conspiratorial control Samuels exhibits over all aspects of city hall.

@ Don Allen:

Don, you're running Lennie Chism's "campaign" against Samuels, so frankly any accusation you make is tainted by that role. Isn't it usually a GOOD thing when a politician meets someone in the community instead of making that person come to the ivory towers of city hall?

Why a bakery meeting? I do not know. However, based on my recollection of Cuckoo Klock's account of the incident--which was given before a city council committee, and it's all on tape, it would make fine viewing on YouTube--it was my merely vague impression the "meeting" was a spontaneous encounter, not a planned one.

All the same, I couldn't say for sure. Some version of the events is probably in the cuckoo Klock lawsuit and, again, in Cuckoo Klock's firsthand account that he gave at that one counsel meeting.

Be sure to read up about Cuckoo Klock's rather unique ideas. CHECK OUT THAT LINK!

Cuckoo Klock is not the plaintiff's name. Don "THUG" Samuels. You are biased in your reporting. By labeling the plaintiff "Cuckoo Klock" is biased. Your blog continues to be one sided. Did the newspapers call them by any other name? Your reporting is a joke with no journalist creditability or integrity. Call the plaintiff by their name in all future references.

The Don "Want to be Mafia" Samuels might be used too. But I would prefer just Don Samuels.

Are you a reporter, blogger, or just Don's boy? I don't think you will write print the other "B" word to describe your relationship with Don Samuels. LMAO

If I remember correctly, and I'm saying I may not be remembering correctly, but when these allegations first came up about a year ago, I thought I heard that it was the landlord, Klock, that requested to meet at the bakery, I think he has some connection to the owner of the bakery, and I know for sure one of the slummy properties that this guy owns is RIGHT there sort of behind the bakery, so it makes sense that if they had to meet about his bad properties that they should meet somewhere at or near the bad properties.

Hey DA, I'm wondering why you break the prostitutes and drug dealers up into races? I live in NoMi, and my bias against drug dealers and prostitutes is simple: they are wrong for doing it, and and if they are in public, they shouldn't be suprised if someone takes their picutre and shames them for their criminal and anti-social behavior.

To Anon @ August 8, 2009 2:11 PM: Wow, you sound bitter - like somebody suing JNS for blogging. Let me help you: the type of reporting is called an EDITORIAL. It is also known as SATIRE, which is: "1 : a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn2 : trenchant wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly." Get it yet? Stay classy "......"!

Pond-dragon says: Word in NOMI is Anonymous @ 2:11 is an old JACC Chair that defaulted on his home, miss-manged JACC funds and left the neighborhood. Now still trying to cause trouble and tell the folks that are still here, still paying their taxes, still investing, still working for a better neighborhood, still fighting the tough battles, "Drugs prostitution, blight" That we are all wrong and misguided!

That's right Pond Dragon, like JNS has taught all his followers (all 10 or so), you should personally take credit for all of the recent good news. A major recession and all the social-economic inner city fallout has nothing to do with it all, does it. Crime is down everywhere, not just here.

Here's something to consider...like the stillness of the trees before the storm, things usually get a little quiet until the tough $ times continue, then it gets off the hook crazy. North Minneapolis has seen this before. Do-gooder, well meaning residents can only do so much; we need serious infrastructure and commercial investment in a concentrated period of time to outpace the foreclosures. Without it, we'll have another wave of 'investment' owners scoop up the properties. And you know what that means....more rentals than any healthy neighborhood should have.

Some here (JNS, are you listening) think you can see real progress by saying over and over we are going to have it...almost like reciting a mantra. It doesn't work that way. Big investments must come now from outside the community in order to attract a lasting, meaningful period of prosperity to North Minneapolis.

I like dreamers rooted in reality, not just blustery rah-rah without understanding this is way bigger than us.

Hats off to everyone who cares and puts the time in, and understands that this process will take years, and we need all hands on deck to make it work.

I just get testy when folks start acting like this current Northside is good enough, and almost there. Look around...this is not OK.

His models of superb small businessmen (Klock and Chism) are, respectively, a slumlord and a wannabe slumlord (in order to be a slumlord, you actually have to be capable of keeping your properties out of foreclosure--an exceptionally high standard that Chism is still aspiring to).

Allen rants are and incoherent scattershot of conspiracy theories, whining that his friends aren't getting enough government entitlements, and his enemies list(e.g., Democrats), are getting too many, held together with a glue of right wing "small government" ranting.

Anon 8:15 said:"Here's something to consider...like the stillness of the trees before the storm.

The NOMI Squirrel says:It's too bad you keep falling back-on contrived statements with no supporting empirical data that remotely suggests what you're professing is even remotely connected to fact. What will these "winds of change" bring? A landslide victory once and for all of the "silent majority" in Novembers' election? Anything is possible I guess. I mean I once found the nut cache of another squirrel. Was that yours?

Anon 8:15 said:"North Minneapolis has seen this before.

The NOMI Squirrel says:Serious investment capital from outside businesses only comes when there's something worth investing in. It's called the free enterprise system and has served this country (and my ancestors) well over the last 200 plus years. Businesses frown on investing in geographic areas where this isn't enough income to support there business. They actually even perform studies to support their business decisions prior to committing to to such investments. Are you reading this Lennie?

Now if what you're actually talking about is a massive infusion of cash from government agencies (commonly referred to as socialism), well I'm all for that too, as long as I get my cut. We need more oaks trees planted. Acorns are becoming scarce and there isn't much nutritional value in the wrappers and left-overs discarded on the ground, as all there seems to be left in NOMI is "convenience stores". Let me tell ya' the pickings are slim. By the ay Anon, there was a time when NOMI was full of well-meaning do-gooders as you call them. The life of a NOMI squirrel was much easier then. My ancestors have told me the stories that have been passed down through the generations.

All you see now are illegal nut-dealing squirrels, or female squirrels that are selling their bodies for nuts. My mother says that the environment they grew up in has a LARGE IMPACT on ho all these yound squirrels act. There just arent any good role models left.

Anon 8:15 said:"Some here think you can see real progress by saying over and over we are going to have it.

The NOMI Squirrel says:Couldn't agree with you more Anon. I find it interesting however, that you choose this particular blog to spew forth your rhetoric however. Last time I checked, CM Samuels has put forth a great effort in attemtping to attract investment monies (both private and public) to NOMI. However, unlike you, he appears to understand the importance of having a safe and healthy environment for both its citizens to live and its businesses to operate. Heck, he even proposes the planting of more acorn trees. Talk about a public servant listening tho the needs of ALL their constituents.

Anon 8:15 said:"I like dreamers rooted in reality.

The NOMI Squirrel says:In fact, you've just given me a good idea for a neat "old saying" that might catch-on. It goes something like this - "those that can do, those that can't complain". Need I tell you what group you fall into? I tell this to all my neighboring squirrels, especially the young ones just starting-out - "Put forth the necessary work and things will turn-out okay for you. But, if you're not willing to put forth the work, don't come knocking on my tree in December, asking for nuts".

Anon 8:15 said:"I just get testy when folks start acting like this current Northside is good enough, and almost there. Look around...this is not OK."

The NOMI Squirrel says:Where in the world did you get that idea? JNS certainly doesn't believe that. In fact when we met at Lennies pipe dream property we talked about the amount of work that needed to still be done to turn NOMI into the type of place we both wanted. The simple stuff. Normal homicide rates - I'm tired of dodging stay bullets, the desire to have our off-spring grow-up in a place where their role model choices go past pimps or drug dealers and plenty of oak trees of course - we need more nuts of a different kind.

anyone that would suggest the terms "thug", or "want to be mafia", in their possible descriptions of CM Samuels clearly don't know the man. Nothing could be further from the truth. AND in reality, takes credibility away from anything they might have to say.

I'm still on the fence (or sitting in the tree so to speak) about the upcoming 5th ward council election and haven't decided to throw my unequaled support behind any candidate running against CM Samuels as of yet. When I do however, whoever it is will have to adopt the NOMI squirrel slogan:

There may be a small number of people who regularly comment on this blog, but that shouldn't be immediately interpreted to mean that it has a small readership base.

Although detractors have remained anonymous (I wonder why? Could it affect lawsuits they've filed?) one can examine the writing styles and reasonably deduce that they are outnumbered at least in terms of who comments on the blog.

I'm going to go ahead and give you the benefit of the doubt, however, and assume you are not one of those folks and can therefore have a reasonable discussion. So I ask you: what is it that you think folks who care about north Minneapolis can or should do that we are not doing? I really would like to hear some examples.

First, I really like to see such substantive discussion and I want to make it clear Don Allen is my friend, and while we may not always agree on everything we are always committed to free and open debate.

Second, Chipper The Entrepreneurial Squirrel wants to sit down and talk with NoMi The Squirrel about some hot business opportunities! Word is that before the snow flies there will be a VERY BIG HOLE IN THE GROUND where Uncle Bill's store currently stands, and you know what you can do with a VERY BIG HOLE IN THE GROUND?

That's right, hide your nuts.

Third, there's no need for anybody to speculate or argue about what kind of traffic this blog gets. I have a site meter and, as far as I know, the information is accessible not only to me but anybody using the blog. The traffic is very consistent and if you want to know what kind of impact the blog is having, ask the waitresses at Donny Dirk's Zombie Bar.

In fact, Riannon tells me the other day a guy walked in there and tried to pass himself off as Johnny Northside!

Don Allen: Please explain how it is a core RNC value to demand that all neighbors accept without question any project that Lennie Chism proposes, and that anyone who expresses even a sliver of doubt about one of his projects is by definition a racist. Is this a position that you believe your heroes Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich would agree with?

"Don, would this be like the clear victory you delivered for Ms. Barb Davis White against Keith Ellison????

I'm just saying......if you're gonna brag, be sure you can back it up."

shhhh! the lying braggart is not required to back anything up. since the lying braggart has explained that he can fix all problems with a snap of his fingers, it is our duty to hand over all neighborhood decisions to the lying braggart without asking any questions.

JNS it appears you are in approval of Don Samuels Wiseguy tactics. You want a councilperson who tears new body parts to enforce his will. Should we give this councilperson a gun? Lawlessness Thug Style Politicians are needed for North Mpls (NOMI) to attract better tenants and rid the community of slumlords. Don "Thug" Samuels will and has attracted investors for all Ward 5's vacant lots and boarded up houses. Let's just re-elect Don "Beat Them UP" Samuels again, hell that's what Ward 5 needs huh JNS?

State your vote - YES or NO, no waffling --- oh did refer to you as Don's B---- earlier, LMAO

Don didn't "beat up" anybody, certainly not a strapping corn-fed slumlord like Morris Klock. I'veseen him. He's a solid, good-sized guy. But even the allegation in the lawsuit is not one of beating him up, so why are you taking the flimsy allegation and puffing it up yet further? Mafia tactics? That's just lame. Your spin isn't going to fly.

Anon 6:15 AM: What is your position on the Executive Directors of neighborhood organizations punching residents in the face when they request to see financial documents?Do you think that the message "all disputes are best resolved through violence" is an appropriate message for our young people? Yes or No?

JNS I asked for a yes or no answer. JNS you waffled on the answer. We live a society of rules and processes. Is Don "Wanta Be Wiseguy" Samuels someone we want representing an area plagued by violence? Threats of bodily harm from anyone against anyone is wrong in a civilized society where law and order is expected. Has anyone beat you up for your blogging - no they filed a lawsuit. If you agree with such actions and tactics, was the question asked. Answer YES or NO?

@ Don Allen: I stand corrected. I checked the candidate filings on the city website and yes indeed, Lennie Chism is running as a DFL candidate. I know you well enough that had I seen that bit of info I would not have made that statement. However, I do seem to remember you going on about how he had the best campaign manager around and that would guarantee victory. So I made my apparently false assumption on the basis that if you were speaking that highly of someone, you were referring to yourself.

(And by the way, Don, I do like your self-confidence, even when it is a bit over the top.)

@ Anon 8:14 - I don't think you have any right to accuse anyone else of being biased in favor of Don Samuels. What about the whole concept of "innocent until proven guilty"? That seems to have worked pretty well for the current JACC board, Dan Rother, Dennis Wagner, Megan Goodmundson, and pretty much everyone except mortgage fraudsters, plaintiffs represented by Jill Clark, and defendants represented by Ben Myers.

In regard to a "yes or no answer," I'll answer the way I please on my own blog, thank you very much.

But YES Don Samuels is doing a fine job representing the Fifth Ward and he's EXACTLY what we need to stand up to slumlords. I don't believe Don Samuels used force against a slumlord in a conversation at the Butter Roll Bakery but even if I DID believe that, it might make me like Don Samuels EVEN MORE. Anybody who manages to put a slumlord in a headlock and demand the slumlord clean up his scummy act...that person should get what the Marines call an "under the desk commendation."

At least I THINK that's what it's called. I'll have to check...

Not that I even BELIEVE Morris Klock, especially after witnessing his bizarre rant at city hall, but if Klock were telling the truth...

In four years, NoMi will have improved so much with new development and property values going back up again that Don's house will be worth a lot more than it is now. (Along with everybody else's house)

So his opponents--probably including Natalie Johnson-Lee, YET AGAIN--will paint Don as somebody "on the take" who is finding ways to benefit personally from policies Don supported to make the neighborhood better.

They'll also point to the fact so many people tried to sue Don and FAILED. So, again, they'll allege Don's corrupt and somehow made those lawsuits "go away."

So, in a lot of ways, I guess my prediction is they'll KEEP TRYING the "mafioso" spin, though from a different angle.

The NOMI Squirrel Replies:Sometimes it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than it is to open ones' mouth and remove all doubt.

Anon, it's really pathetic that the best you can dredge-up on JNS OR CM Samuels is that you believe CM Samuels is somehow connected to the mafia and he goes around strong-arming constituents and that JNS is an ass kisser because he happens to agree with CM Samuels that having a plethora of slumlords in our midst is not a good thing for the community.

I know CM Samuels personally. Do you? To begin with, if you gave him a gun, he'd probably shoot himself in the foot loading it. If you gave him a set of boxing gloves, he'd probably use them to keep his hands warm in the winter-time. He's probably the biggest pacifist I've met in my life. And the "stories" about his intimidating and abusive behaviour are just that - "stories". Youdislike him because he's willing to call bullshit to the shennanigans that have been played on the northside for the last twenty some-odd years by the "usual suspects". And more than likely, you're one of them. You dislike JNS because his blog has more effectively focused the efforts of the GOOD things that are happening on the northside. And this is a threat to people like you.

Please tell me there's more... Please tell me you have something of substance to add to this blog..... Oh nuts........

I'm still waiting for the substantive comments about what we (meaning especially supporters of the JNS blog) could do differently to help make our neighborhood better. I just thought I'd point out that when I ask our anonymous detractors for comments with some substance to them, those folks (or perhaps just ONE person???) seem awfully quiet.

The thing that Samuels supporters are doing wrong is not taking advantage of the special magical ability of his detractors to snap their fingers and make everything all better instantly, even if they can't keep their own properties out of foreclosure or keep their own block liveable. The only really mystery is why Natalie Johnson Lee made the decision not to do this when she was a city council member.

NOMI Squirrel: Lots of us know Don Samuels as well, including myself, and I personally have not written one negative thing about him ever. In fact, I think he's largely a decent person, even if I do not think he has presided over or even influenced much change to North Minneapolis. Btw, wake me up when that 'free enterprise' philosophy of yours kicks in. Yes, the free-market economy gang is just waiting to invest because you say it's such a lovely place that's turning the corner any second. Get your hands dirty for more than a hot minute, girl, and find out how tough change really is.

If folks thought for a second that this blog was more than the over-sized ego of John Hoff, his bizarrely attached-at-the-hip accomplice Jeff, and his equally confused financier Connie, plus the crackpot 'usual suspects', as you refer to others that you don't really know at all, well then, speaking for myself only, it might actually be worthwhile to engage with you. As it is, myself and MANY others (use that site meter JNS) prefer to be watchdogs to the self-proclaimed NoMi watchdog with his manifesto of 'ideas' that will surely benefit us all.

It is fun though, to see you grapple with your conspiracy theories about the faces behind these too numerous anti-JNS comments.

Jeff: Lots of us have ideas. You can find us any time at any number of gatherings outside of the world that revolves around Hawthorne/Jordan. A friend of mine says you're a good egg; that's good enough for me. Maybe you can muster the good sense to lose the unemployed, alcoholic blogger and put your own nuts to use.

To Anonymous at 6:02: Factual errors in your comment I will go out of my way to correct:

Connie does not finance this blog. And while I may enjoy writing about good times in NoMi with alcoholic beverages, anybody who knows me will tell you I drink VERY moderately. I'm not even a heavy drinker, let alone an alcoholic. But if somebody wants to buy me drinks and test my limits, hey, my limits are certainly up for being tested.

Last of all, some watchdog you are, being anonymous. Shouldn't you be talking to me through your lawyer anyway?

Anon 6:02 says:"As it is, myself and MANY others (use that site meter JNS) prefer to be watchdogs to the self-proclaimed NoMi watchdog with his manifesto of 'ideas' that will surely benefit us all.

It is fun though, to see you grapple with your conspiracy theories about the faces behind these too numerous anti-JNS comments."

The NOMI Squirrel say:As you would suspect, I'm usually pretty good at locating nuts. Especially when they try to disguise themselves as blackberry-carrying, self proclaimed watchdogs of the community.

You keep having fun watching us guess who you "all" are. We'll continue making NOMI a better place to live and we'll all be happy. Gotta scamper along and watch the actiivty at Uncle Bill's.

To Anonymous At 7:22, if I had to disclose all the separate relationships at EVERY MENTION of WHOEVER, I'd never get around to blogging ANYTHING. The movie project is a separate animal from the blog. And I don't get revenue from that project, I am merely one of the subjects of that documentary.

But maybe I should make more of an effort to disclose relationships. Maybe I should say, for example, who I strongly suspect YOU are. But, again, shouldn't you be talking to me through your attorney?

Wait a minute...I thought John was MY ACCOMPLICE. Now you're telling me it's the OTHER WAY AROUND???

In all seriousness, John is a good friend and even when we argue or disagree about issues in NoMi, we still find value in working together on many issues.

As Hawthorne's housing director, I'm accountable first and foremost to my community and the directions given by my board. There have been many community issues brought to my attention through the comment sections on this blog (such as the slummy activities at 2515 3rd), and John is receptive enough to put important Hawthorne events on his blog as well. Our relationship in regards to the neighborhood is mutually beneficial, and as long as it remains that way I'll continue to associate with him in this manner.

But let's make ONE THING VERY CLEAR: he's attached to MY HIP, and not the other way around.

Oh my..."JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Johnny Northside Has Lips Surgically Removed From Don Samuels A**!" Well, we all know who THAT Anon is, don't we. What he should do is create a cleaver name so that we can refer to him that way instead of Anon. How about "The 5th ANTI-Johnny ". It is great that you still read the blogs on the northside (IBNN and JNS), all along frustrated that he can't make it stop: claim it's racism, isn't that what you learned to do when you are losing? Maaaagic you say? If you could just make that pesky deal at 1564 Hillside that hauts you disappear -- haunted by the tears you shead when you went crying to people about it -- oh the shame of it. I know, like about it in court -- what, MAXWELL got 17 yrs -- okay, don't lie about it in court. If only people would forget about the firing from an executive position, the employment misconduct finding by the state, the stolen Blackberries, the ridicious lawsuits. If only the squirrels would stop talking about nuts.

Oh, JNS (that moderate drinker I might add, nothing at all like "songs for a recovering planet," you know: "These songs are my humble beginnings, my growth and my wisdon. This album is my 12th step."), the watchdogs, wathchdogs, poundkeeps watchdog is watching you -- or private eyes, so confusing...no, its the "watchdogs without a blog" (or men without hats).

FYI to all it concerns: I wrote the 'JNS Blog Exclusive' comment. I can assure you I am not Jerry Moore. Or any of the other targets of JNS, for that matter.

Is it so hard to believe that more than a few (in truth, many) don't take a fancy to JNS style?

I'd rather not ever read this blog, except when it has something to really promote the Northside. Which coincidentally happens every time a number of people call him out on his usually bile. I write (as I'm sure others do) to let it be known that there are different points of view around here. And if I get sarcastic, well then, it's only fair play right?

I shouldn't have to post with a name any more than JNS kool-aid drinkers do, but just for you, I'll call myself Al-anon.